Story (http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,20285420-5005941,00.html)
AN elderly man has died after being knocked down on a pedestrian crossing by a speeding cyclist in an unofficial race called the "Hell Ride".
James Gould, 77, was on the crossing in Mentone in Victoria, when he was hit by the cyclist about 8.30am (AEST) on Saturday. He died in hospital yesterday.
The 30-year-old cyclist, from East St Kilda, will be issued with a penalty notice for allegedly failing to stop at a red light.
A police source said the rider could not be charged with culpable driving because he was not behind the wheel of a car.
The Hell Ride is a loosely organised race that attracts about 300 riders every Saturday.
It starts at a Black Rock roundabout at a designated time then snakes along Beach Rd to Mt Eliza and back.
Cyclists reportedly reach more than 60km/h as they race along the bay. The ride has been staged for more than 20 years and is not officially aligned with a cycling club.
Mr Gould, from Mentone, was on a walk when he was hit while crossing the road in front of the Mentone Surf Life Saving Club, near Naples Rd.
He was taken to The Alfred hospital with serious injuries.
Police told the Herald Sun the riders started early and were on their way back from Frankston when he was hit.
Mr Gould strolled each day along the strip as a morning ritual.
His neighbour of four years, Richard Sherburn, said Mr Gould was a jovial man who was well liked in Mentone.
"He used to walk down there every day and he'd smile and wave, and talk to everyone," he said. "He loved living here near the beach and he was always such a happy man."
Mr Gould, who was born in England, had never married or had children, and told his neighbours he had no living family.
He jokingly referred to himself as the orphan.
Neighbours said Mr Gould worked at a city accountancy firm for 30 years and since retiring often returned to England by ship for holidays.
A police officer said the Hell Ride was a regular problem through the bayside suburbs as they raced along at up to 60km/h.
"It's an unofficial race. That's the easiest way to put it," the source said.
"These guys have no regard for motorists.
"They ride on the wrong side of the road, they don't give way to cars, they don't stop at red lights."
galen_52657
08-28-06, 12:15 PM
And we complain about motorists getting off easy.... to bad the victim had no relatives to sue the cyclist.
genec
08-28-06, 12:20 PM
The cyclist should be treated just like a motorist in similar cases...
Give the cyclist a $240 fine and let him go. :rolleyes:
Blue Order
08-28-06, 12:21 PM
Thanks for posting this. A sad story, both for the pedestrian whose life ended, and for cycling.
Hopefully this will put an end to the nonsensical claim that cyclists can not and do not injure and kill pedestrians. Hopefully, this will put an end to the nonsensical claim that cyclists who blow stop lights only risk injury to themselves. A negligently ridden bicycle is potentially lethal, and there is obviously a liability risk associated with riding. It's irrelevant that the potential for causing injury or death is less than that for a car, and it's irrelevant that the liability risk may or may not be less than that for a car. The potential is still there.
If this had been a cyclist run down by a speeding motorist who blew a stop sign, we'd be up in arms that the motorist got off with a failure to stop ticket. Hopefully, we'll be just as disgusted that this COB is getting off with a slap on the wrist instead of the vehicular manslaughter charge he so richly deserves. I am.
Falkon
08-28-06, 12:22 PM
What I want to know is if the cyclist fled the scene. He should at least have the decency to stop. I'm sure he must have gone down after running smack into a person.
Bikepacker67
08-28-06, 12:41 PM
AN elderly man has died after being knocked down on a pedestrian crossing by a speeding cyclist
What does that mean? Was the cyclist actually travelling above the speed limit?
randya
08-28-06, 12:47 PM
Just curious where exactly this happened? Wisconsin? Victoria, British Columbia? Other location?
rajman
08-28-06, 12:49 PM
I don't see how the cyclist is less culpable, just because he wasn't operating a motor vehicle. Does the state law specifically exclude bicyles from being held responsible for breaking traffic laws?
If so, it would seem free game for cyclists to blow red lights, stop signs, ride on sidewalks, whatever they want to do - and be free from prosecution when they cause a crash.
It seems to me the reporter might have been misinformed...
recursive
08-28-06, 01:20 PM
Just curious where exactly this happened? Wisconsin? Victoria, British Columbia? Other location?
Melbourne
tomcryar
08-28-06, 01:22 PM
Just curious where exactly this happened? Wisconsin? Victoria, British Columbia? Other location?
Australia. Sounds like these cyclists have no regard for anything.
geo8rge
08-28-06, 01:37 PM
Let's say you know of something like this going on, what should you do? It is not like it has an organization behind it, with a go to person.
recursive
08-28-06, 01:43 PM
Let's say you know of something like this going on, what should you do? It is not like it has an organization behind it, with a go to person.
All you can do is punish the individuals behaving badly. If all of them are behaving badly, they must be violating some law (under my definition of bad behavior) that they could be punished under.
wild animals
08-28-06, 01:44 PM
that poor guy :(
if they can't charge the cyclist with irresponsible driving charges, then they should charge him with assault or battery or something like that. if i knocked the guy over with my arms, they wouldn't let me off just because i wasn't driving a car.
DCCommuter
08-28-06, 03:33 PM
I agree the cyclist got off easy.
On-street cycling races -- particularly "unofficial" ones -- are troubling from an advocacy point of view. A quick look at the local statutes shows serious penalties for racing on public streets, with enhanced penalties if an accident results. However, the law specifically applies only to motor vehicles.
I don't think a charge of reckless endangerment would be unreasonable in this case.
remsav
08-28-06, 03:36 PM
that poor guy :(
if they can't charge the cyclist with irresponsible driving charges, then they should charge him with assault or battery or something like that. if i knocked the guy over with my arms, they wouldn't let me off just because i wasn't driving a car.
But if you were driving a car you would only be cited for traffic violation and fined for the "accident". The cyclist does deserve a reckless driving charges if he didn't "see the pedestrian due to the sun or something", if he ran over the ped on purpose then he deserve man slaughter charges.
CB HI
08-28-06, 08:28 PM
"These guys have no regard for motorists.
"They ride on the wrong side of the road, they don't give way to cars, they don't stop at red lights."
I feel sorry for the pedestrian. The racers should receive harsh punishment and the cops should put an end to the unsanctioned/unsafe racing.
But, how did the article turn into a poor motorist thing. The incident was between a cyclist and a pedestrian. I guess it is always about the poor motorist!
Blue Order
08-28-06, 08:41 PM
The Hell Ride (http://www.bikenow.com.au/tac/hellride.htm)
History of "The Hell Ride"
Every Saturday at 7am, a group of cyclists takes off from the shopping strip at the Black Rock clock tower and tears down Beach Road and the Nepean Highway at speeds of up to 60 kmh.
This is the Hell Ride, Melbourne's most famous and controversial cycling tradition, which had its beginning in 1984 when VFL footballer Bernie Quinlan and two friends began a weekly ride from Black Rock to Mt Eliza and back - reviving an older tradition known as the Frankston Derby.
Bayside motorists have long been familiar with packs of triathletes and road cyclists rolling up and down Beach Road all weekend and pre-dawn weekdays. But unlike even the toughest of these other training groups, the Hell Ride has transformed into a heart-thumping, ferocious race, which at the height of summer attracts up to 200 cyclists.
Cycling at these speeds in close formation calls for razor-sharp skills. Doing it on a public road with traffic lights and other road users is, say some veteran elite cyclists, a tragedy waiting to happen.
For years, the police have tried to control the flouting of road rules by riders who ignore red lights at the back of the long pack, block traffic in the outside lane and sometimes abuse impatient and aggressive motorists. Police have swerved patrol cars in front of the pack at high speed in an attempt to block the highway and have forced cyclists off the road to hand out infringement notices.
They have even appeared at the start to lecture the group, among whom are off-duty policemen and other law enforcers who cannot resist the thrill of cycling at high speed alongside some of Australia's top professional cyclists.
Peter Macgeorge, the only one of the original three founders still riding the Hell Ride, says: "It's my adrenalin rush for the week. You go straight flat-out from the jump."
Apart from Quinlan, Macgeorge, 60, has seen many footballers come and go over the years, including Chris Grant of the Western Bulldogs, Glen Coleman of Fitzroy and Mick Nettlefold, as well as big names from other sports, such as former marathon record-holder Derek Clayton and six-time Winter Olympic speed skater Colin Coates. But it has grown out of all proportion over the years, Macgeorge says. Now no one organises the Hell Ride and no one controls behaviour. Another former Olympian, Max Rainsford, said he remembered the time when professional riders patrolled training bunches, sending dangerous riders to the back. Now there is no respect - you give them advice and they say, "Who the hell are you?".
"I reckon they're playing with fire," said Rainsford, 39.
Senior Sergeant Brad Hanel who set up Operation Flock at the Mordialloc police station to deal with the Hell Ride, says: "There's got to be a code of conduct. We don't want to stop the Hell Ride, but we want them to comply with the legislation."
Fearful that restrictive controls or new laws could endanger access to Beach Road, members of the St Kilda Cycling Club have organised a public forum on Monday evening, jointly hosted by the Police Department.
Club member Ken Lowe said motorists with strong views on the subject were welcome to join representatives from councils, VicRoads, other cycling clubs and cycling bodies Bicycle Victoria and Cycling Australia.
"What's at stake is safety and lives but also the general utility of the road for drivers and cyclists, and the existence of pack rides full-stop," Mr Lowe said.
Beach Road is unique in Australia as a training venue. Many of Australia's greatest cycle athletes have begun their careers there and continue to use it.
For club riders of all ages around Melbourne, it is the centre of the universe.
Mr Lowe said: "It's a rolling community in its own right."
Mike van Niekerk occasionally does the Hell Ride. The Hell Ride forum is at the Felix Bar and Restaurant, 43 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, at 6.30pm on Monday.
Article thanks to THE AGE newspaper
By Mike van Niekerk
May 18 2002
tomcryar
08-28-06, 09:33 PM
I was a little torn at first after reading this. On one hand, I am all for tradition, and the original intent was to revive an even older tradition than this one of 22 years. But after I read it a few more times, I came to the conclusion that these people are out of control, with apparently even law officers participating. I wonder if there have been other deaths? It seems to me that, while it may not be "traditional", they could move it somewhere out of the way, because it sounds like they don't even respect the original intent anyway. I still feel really bad for the man who died, though, he sounded like a truly gentle soul.
nm+
08-29-06, 11:55 AM
Honestly, how hard would it to have gotten the road closed for the event?
They close the roads around here for nearly any racing event, even arteries that make it damn near impossible to cross the city in car, on bike, or foot.
These riders were irresponsible and deserve any punishment they get.
Blue Order
08-29-06, 01:11 PM
The punishment for killing a pedestrian is a failure to stop citation.
sentinel4675
08-29-06, 01:52 PM
Why should they close the street EVERY week? This isn't a once a year event according to the article. There is no way they should close a road for such a weekly event.
Blue Order
08-29-06, 01:59 PM
Why should they close the street EVERY week? This isn't a once a year event according to the article. There is no way they should close a road for such a weekly event.Then they should close the event. Close the road, or close the event. And that cyclist should be facing prison time.
recursive
08-29-06, 02:07 PM
Then they should close the event. Close the road, or close the event. And that cyclist should be facing prison time.
How do you close an unorganized ride with no leader?
I'm assuming that it would still go on, even if you "closed" it.
Blue Order
08-29-06, 02:29 PM
How do you close an unorganized ride with no leader?
I'm assuming that it would still go on, even if you "closed" it.Ban the event and arrest any participants.
Or alternatively, harass it out of existence. Issue citations for each and every traffic violation.
Personally, I don't think it would be that big a deal to close the road; if not once a week, then once a month.
recursive
08-29-06, 02:31 PM
Ban the event and arrest any participants.
I don't really know the law in Australia, but I know that would not fly around here. Look at CM in NYC. You can't really arrest someone just for riding a bike on a public road at a certain time.
Basically, in order to arrest someone, I think there has to be a suspicion that they have broken a law. IANAL, but that's my understanding anyway.
Blue Order
08-29-06, 02:45 PM
I don't really know the law in Australia, but I know that would not fly around here. Look at CM in NYC. You can't really arrest someone just for riding a bike on a public road at a certain time.
Basically, in order to arrest someone, I think there has to be a suspicion that they have broken a law. IANAL, but that's my understanding anyway.Yeah, I don't know the law in Australia either.
But looking at NYC CM is a good example. The new parade permit guidelines will make CM arrests easy. I believe that the Hell Ride is a different situation in any event, however. CM is just a bunch of people riding more or less lawfully, except for the blocking traffic part. The Hell Ride is a bunch of people riding at speeds that I would suspect are illegal and blowing through stop lights, failing to yield, etc. If you think the state doesn't have the police power to legislate for public health and safety-- for example, to ban unpermitted road races-- you would be in for a surprise.
recursive
08-29-06, 02:56 PM
Yeah, I don't know the law in Australia either.
But looking at NYC CM is a good example. The new parade permit guidelines will make CM arrests easy. I believe that the Hell Ride is a different situation in any event, however. CM is just a bunch of people riding more or less lawfully, except for the blocking traffic part. The Hell Ride is a bunch of people riding at speeds that I would suspect are illegal and blowing through stop lights, failing to yield, etc. If you think the state doesn't have the police power to legislate for public health and safety-- for example, to ban unpermitted road races-- you would be in for a surprise.
Will the new parade guidelines become law? Last I heard, there was much controversy and it seemed they would not ever be anything more than a proposal. It sounded like the proposed guidelines were ridiculously over-reaching. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be in favor of a law that makes it illegal to ride bikes in groups.
Blue Order
08-29-06, 03:07 PM
Will the new parade guidelines become law? Last I heard, there was much controversy and it seemed they would not ever be anything more than a proposal. It sounded like the proposed guidelines were ridiculously over-reaching. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be in favor of a law that makes it illegal to ride bikes in groups.I don't know. I think existing law, if enforced, would probably make a law that prohibits riding in groups unnecessary. Corking is illegal. Blowing through stoplights is illegal. Impeding traffic is illegal. Riding more than two abreast is probably illegal. There may even be a requirement to ride to the right. If the cops enforced all of these laws, they wouldn't need a special law that prohibits riding in groups. There's a difference between a mass ride and a mass ride that violates traffic laws, and nobody seems to understand that.
webist
08-29-06, 04:58 PM
The article suggests that the gentleman who died was habitually walking in that area. I wonder if he was aware of the custom of the Hell Ride? I wish there were a follow-up on this story.
sentinel4675
08-29-06, 05:03 PM
Who cares is the man knew about the ride? If the cyclist broke the law why should the old man enjoying a nice walk have to alter his plans because of some jerks who want to ride fast?
Funny some on this board just can't wait to claim the police harass cyclist, but some blame the police for not doing active enforcement?
tomcryar
08-29-06, 06:16 PM
The article suggests that the gentleman who died was habitually walking in that area. I wonder if he was aware of the custom of the Hell Ride? I wish there were a follow-up on this story.
Yes he had a habit everyday, probably doing the same walk. These cyclists (from what I read in other articles) don't have a "habit". They start at different times. The local "law officers" who participate in this ride should have known his routine and said something at the least. They should be reprimanded, suspended, or fired! I hope the cyclist(s) who killed him are thinking about him every day!
nm+
08-29-06, 10:50 PM
Then they should close the event. Close the road, or close the event. And that cyclist should be facing prison time.
Didn't notice that.
Should stop the ride. Friggin juvinile anyhow.
And they should try to apply any street racing alws to it they ahve. Strict punishments in teh US often inculde arrest and seizure of vehicles.
Wilchemy
08-30-06, 01:09 AM
Warning....Long post :)
Just to clarify things a little bit (media reports are not always accurate)....and this is not first hand knowledge but came to me from a reliable source:
Beach Rd, where the incident occurred is a very heavily used cycling route in Melbourne with literally thousands of cyclists using it particularly on weekends - including recreational/social riders, solo riders out training plus bunches of anywhere from 2 to 30 are quite common.
In this instance the Hell Ride bunch had split because the pedestrian crossing had been triggered just before they got to it and the front 20 or so had gone through before it turned red and then sat up to wait while the rest of the bunch (perhaps 60+ riders) stopped at the crossing. Two riders came along the road from behind the stopped bunch and moved into the right hand lane, (remember we ride on the other side of the road here) to pass the other stopped riders and blow the red light resulting in one of them colliding with the pedestrian with extremely tragic consequences.
The rider involved was completely wrong and stupid beyond belief and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Unfortunatley there exists some anomalies in the laws in this State and in this situationit seems a bicycle is not considered a vehicle so a charge of vehicular manslaughter cannot be made, and a fine for running a red is all that can be issued. I expect that due to the public attention this story is receiving, particularly in the tabloid media that police will be looking into any other avenues.
One of the outcomes of this tragic incident which will affect all cyclists here in Melbourne is the way the the trashy/talkback type media is lapping it up and giving as much negative press as possible to all cyclists and stirring up much anti-cyclist hate. This could make the roads a bit less safe for anyone on a bike in the coming weeks.
A key lesson to all who feel they can run reds & do whatever because, "well, it's my life & it's only me who will get hurt/killed"..... think again! Not only has a pedestrian been killed, but the cycling public has now been relegated further down the respect ladder thanks to the actions of a fool. :(
3chordwonder
08-30-06, 08:17 AM
I'd also like to chime in as a local who enjoys riding along Beach Road here in Melbourne.
First, I feel sorry for the man who died - it was a tragic and avoidable accident, and the cyclist involved might have been careless, unlucky, or an agressive fool. None of us would know since we weren't there.
But the concept that there's some pack of mad out of control hooligans tearing down Beach Road every Saturday morning is a pathetic journalist-driven beat-up.
I can't entirely blame the journalists, they just wouldn't be able to help themselves when presented with a story with a 'Hell Ride' name mixed with a death on the road. It has conflict, drama, outlaws and selfrighteous community outrage written all over it. The talkback radio shock jocks have probably been onto it already as well. It's a free kick not to be wasted.
When I've ridden this road, I've usually ended up riding part of it in a club pack of some kind, and I'm always impressed by how organised and streamlined people are in these informal rides. Invariably the packs/pacelines do stop at red lights. If they didn't they'd die, basically - there's cars on this road.
Yes, the cyclist should have been more careful, of course, but Beach Road is not remotely the scene the press - even The Age, and shame on them since they are not even meant to be cheap tabloid press - are pushing in order to paint a sensationalist picture. I've seen aggressive drivers nearly take out cyclists on Beach Road several times, and unfortunately this kind of reporting will no doubt fuel those kind of incidents.
As for the guy who hit the poor old man who died, he will be dealing with this for the rest of his life. I wouldn't be in that much of a hurry to judge that he's getting off without penalty.
And finally - I'd take all this stuff about how extreme, lawless and tough this 'Hell Ride' is with a grain of salt. Forget the usual 'Aussie Tough Man' BS about how 'extreme' they are. In the end, it's a recreational ride by a bunch of hobby riders.
tomcryar
08-30-06, 10:04 AM
Apparently, it's more than a recreational ride by hobby riders. One article I read stated that ther main purpose is to "flout" the laws by riding like they do (that came from two of the riders). There are some rides like this in the US, and it's just a matter of time....These people did not stop at the light, that's exactly why this guy got run over!
3chordwonder
08-30-06, 05:54 PM
Well, I guess you'd know better than I do what goes on on Beach Road. I only ride there, whereas you've read an article.
Blue Order
08-30-06, 07:29 PM
As for the guy who hit the poor old man who died, he will be dealing with this for the rest of his life. I wouldn't be in that much of a hurry to judge that he's getting off without penalty.Perhaps you haven't seen the lynch mobs formed here whenever a motorist runs down a cyclist? According to the prevailing wisdom here, there is no excuse for running somebody down. In fact, there are no accidents. And thus, motorists should be (but never are) punished harshly.
If this had been an informal weekly auto race, with the racers flouting the traffic laws as they saw fit, and some racer ran a red light and mowed down some elderly cyclist, there would be no doubt expressed here that the offending motorist should be shot at dawn. The offending motorist's lifelong trauma from the accident wouldn't even begin to make amends for what he had done.
And you think this is somehow different?
sentinel4675
08-30-06, 09:35 PM
Well put, Blue
brycer
08-31-06, 12:45 AM
I am also a Melbourne local and have ridden Beach Road countless times. The size of the pack for the Hell Ride is not unusual - in the warmer weather you will find quite a few 40+ bunches out there. Most of these packs are well controlled and responsible. The "Hell Ride" however seems to attract an idiot fringe who figure that if they just blow the lights the traffic will have to stop.
The guys doing it are those desparate to hang on to a wheel and avoid being dropped. There is no excuse for failing to obey the road rules and those who do should be punished in the same way as car drivers. If you miss the lights then so be it - try harder next time. Better that than being killed or injured.
The unusual outcome of the accident - pedestrian killed by bike - meant it was good media fodder.
As a result the two major papers both ran two articles each and editorials decrying the actions of these irresponsible cyclists. The TV stations also covered it and showed footage of a group ride (taken on a Tuesday morning) of the "Hell Ride" - this ride of course only goes on a Saturday.
On the other side of the coin I have seen car loads of fools roar past and throw bottles etc at cyclists. Last year I saw a guy with an i-pod jaywalk in front of a group of 20 - that time the cyclist was the one taken away in the ambulance.
Back in 2003 the police tried to shut the ride down with tactics like blocking the road and proceeding to fine anyone without a bell and reflectors. If the media attention keeps up then I fully expect similar petty tactics to be wheeled out again. And nobody is a winner from that.
With the Round the Bay in a Day (210kms) coming up next month the numbers of cyclists will be increasing so there may well be other indicents that make the paper.
So for now I will stick to riding up the Dandenong ranges and stay away from Beach Road on the weekend.
tomcryar
08-31-06, 01:49 AM
Thank you brycer, but just one question remains---what can be done about the "idiot fringe"? Not just with this ride, but for these types of rides? Of which we have a few here in the US.
brycer
08-31-06, 06:12 AM
Well here in Aust we have a demerit point system on your car licence and if you run out of points you get it cancelled for six months and only a few point reinstated. If the penalties for bike offences were brought into line with cars and the police enforced the law now and then the idiot fringe would be walking to work.
Also it needs the group to tell these people to take their stupid attitude elsewhere.
ft_critical
08-31-06, 08:42 AM
So for now I will stick to riding up the Dandenong ranges and stay away from Beach Road on the weekend.
+1 the Sassafras ride doesn't seem to attract the lunatics and people who don't know how to bunch ride. The hill is the great leveller (so to speak!)
Glad this was posted to remind us all though.....
recursive
08-31-06, 09:07 AM
Well here in Aust we have a demerit point system on your car licence and if you run out of points you get it cancelled for six months and only a few point reinstated. If the penalties for bike offences were brought into line with cars and the police enforced the law now and then the idiot fringe would be walking to work.
Also it needs the group to tell these people to take their stupid attitude elsewhere.
Does riding a bike require a license in Australia?
tomcryar
08-31-06, 09:24 PM
No. What brycer was saying was: maybe the laws for cyclists should be the exact same for motorists, along with reinforcement of the laws. If I'm wrong brycer, please say so. But if this is the point, I agree 100%. I see and hear about so many cyclists intentionally breaking the laws and then try to justify their actions by some silly argument. If cyclists want to be treated with respect on the road, by other people on the road, then they will have adhere to the same laws. There is and will be no special treatment for cyclists who break the law in my mind.
Blue Order
08-31-06, 09:52 PM
I don't really think anybody, cyclist or motorist, should be shot at dawn. I do think that motorists who injure or kill should face appropriate charges in court, and if found guilty, should be appropriately punished. I don't see any reason that cyclists shouldn't be held to the same standard.
tomcryar
08-31-06, 09:57 PM
maybe there should be a standard definition of the word vehicle........It seems vague in some laws.
brycer
09-01-06, 05:23 AM
No. What brycer was saying was: maybe the laws for cyclists should be the exact same for motorists, along with reinforcement of the laws. If I'm wrong brycer, please say so. But if this is the point, I agree 100%. I see and hear about so many cyclists intentionally breaking the laws and then try to justify their actions by some silly argument. If cyclists want to be treated with respect on the road, by other people on the road, then they will have adhere to the same laws. There is and will be no special treatment for cyclists who break the law in my mind.
ThAts what I meant - same laws for all - while there are lesser rules for cyclists the perception is that we have less rights on the road. Interestingly we have now seen motorists becoming more aggressive - ie reasserting "their" rights - since the incident. The local police will be out in force this weekend to bust anyone breaking the rules. I might pop down and see whats happening tomorrow.
brycer
09-01-06, 05:26 AM
Does riding a bike require a license in Australia?
No it doesnt but here are road rules specific to bicycles eg no more than two abreast. Rest of the laws apply. But for accident related crime like culpable driving (=dangerous driving resulting in death or serious injury to someone else) the law at the moment assumes use of a motor vehicle. So I think they will change the laws to include bicycles as vehicles.
Johnny_Monkey
09-01-06, 08:01 AM
Cyclists honour 'Hell Ride' victim
Jane Holroyd
September 1, 2006 - 11:08AM
About 200 cyclists snaked their way through Melbourne's bayside suburbs at the crack of dawn today to pay tribute to an elderly man who died after being struck down during a bike race on the weekend.
James Gould, 77, was crossing Beach Road at pedestrian lights in Mentone on Saturday morning when he was allegedly hit by a cyclist taking part in the notorious "hell ride", which is a weekly communal ride involving cyclists in groups of up to 100.
The cyclist, a 30-year-old man from St Kilda East, had not stopped at the red light.
Mr Gould died the following day and the tragedy sparked legal debate after police revealed the cyclist responsible was unlikely to face criminal charges.
Many Melbourne cyclists are now on a mission to clear their names, saying most cyclists behave responsibly and respect other road users.
This morning cyclists from several bayside clubs participated in a memorial ride, which began at Cafe Racer in St Kilda at 6am.
Just before 7am, approximately 130 members of the St Kilda Cycling Club were joined by another 70 cyclists at the site of Saturday's accident in Mentone.
All removed their helmets for a minute's silence before SKCC vice-president Melinda Jacobsen made a speech appealing for cyclists to obey road rules.
"We asked everyone to vote on a code of conduct, to respect other roads users and to be be ambassadors for this great sport," Ms Jacobsen told theage.com.au.
"Everyone raised their hands, which was great to see."
theage.com.au
recursive
09-01-06, 08:41 AM
No it doesnt but here are road rules specific to bicycles eg no more than two abreast. Rest of the laws apply. But for accident related crime like culpable driving (=dangerous driving resulting in death or serious injury to someone else) the law at the moment assumes use of a motor vehicle. So I think they will change the laws to include bicycles as vehicles.
If bicycling doesn't require a license, then penalties can't really be "brought inline" with those for motor vehicles, since there are no licenses from which to deduct points.